New TOP GEAR magazine article about Lucid

[no gas]

Inside Lucid: Is America’s brightest EV startup flying or flopping? — BBC Top Gear Magazine

I magine it. Your very own clean sheet car company. You confidently seduce investors with talk of offering the business class ambience of a Maybach S-Class, Porsche Taycan-shaming performance and the longest range of any EV on Earth. Why yes, of course you’re going to be making electric cars...

apple.news

Saw this in my Apple News feed.

 

[hmp10]

It's behind a pay wall. Can you give a brief synopsis of their conclusion?

Thanks.

 

[no gas]

It's behind a pay wall. Can you give a brief synopsis of their conclusion?

Thanks.

Basically articles says Lucid is not like any other startup EV manufacturer. Though production in 2023 was way off, and burning cash, these are investments into the future. 2 new models coming.

Talks about how Peter started of at Jaguar, went to Lotus, then Tesla. Talks about world beating EV tech in lucid, efficiency, range, space. But the problem is, car is too well engineered, too clever that people don’t notice. BMW couldn’t sell its i3. Honda insight? Mercedes A class? Audi A2- other cars that had the same problem.

Peter accepts the fact that 6000 cars sold in 2023 was not good. Many still don’t know the company exists. High interest rates, macroeconomics didn’t help.

Porsche is the most profitable car company, range 50k to 250k- this is what Lucid aspires to be. But for volume cheap car, they will license. Interestingly, Peter mentioned lucid tech can be used for both hydrogen fuel cars and hybrids. He wouldn’t have been able to build a car like this at Jaguar- he has full reign at Lucid.
Author took a ride in a Gravity prototype, says ride quality shames a Range Rover and packaging takes advantage of what we were promised in EV’s, unlike Tesla or Rivian. Air Saphire is like a love child between a Jaguar XJ, BMW M car and a Porsche.

In conclusion, author says you would be heartbroken if you were in charge of a company building a car this well sorted, and the world failed to notice until it is too late!

 

[no gas]

couple of other points the author makes- Lucid is a 21st century car company, with capacity to build 550k vehicles annually when both factories are completed. You go big, not go small trying to build a car in your grandfathers shed hoping for a following.
also, author says, refreshing to see that unlike other EV startups, Lucid recognizes that more tech is not necessarily better!!

Also, the fact that Aston Martin chose Lucid for its next generation future proof EV powertrain says a lot!1

 

[kort6776]

@ no gas, you might like one of my old plates

 

[no gas]

@ no gas, you might like one of my old plates

Haha, very funny! Maybe I should get that plate here in AZ

 

[hmp10]

Basically articles says Lucid is not like any other startup EV manufacturer. Though production in 2023 was way off, and burning cash, these are investments into the future. 2 new models coming.

Talks about how Peter started of at Jaguar, went to Lotus, then Tesla. Talks about world beating EV tech in lucid, efficiency, range, space. But the problem is, car is too well engineered, too clever that people don’t notice. BMW couldn’t sell its i3. Honda insight? Mercedes A class? Audi A2- other cars that had the same problem.

Peter accepts the fact that 6000 cars sold in 2023 was not good. Many still don’t know the company exists. High interest rates, macroeconomics didn’t help.

Porsche is the most profitable car company, range 50k to 250k- this is what Lucid aspires to be. But for volume cheap car, they will license. Interestingly, Peter mentioned lucid tech can be used for both hydrogen fuel cars and hybrids. He wouldn’t have been able to build a car like this at Jaguar- he has full reign at Lucid.
Author took a ride in a Gravity prototype, says ride quality shames a Range Rover and packaging takes advantage of what we were promised in EV’s, unlike Tesla or Rivian. Air Saphire is like a love child between a Jaguar XJ, BMW M car and a Porsche.

In conclusion, author says you would be heartbroken if you were in charge of a company building a car this well sorted, and the world failed to notice until it is too late!

Thanks. That was a very helpful synopsis . . . and interesting.

 

[hmp10]

In conclusion, author says you would be heartbroken if you were in charge of a company building a car this well sorted, and the world failed to notice until it is too late!

I would join in that heartbreak. I sometimes worry about how much I love our Air and what I would do if the brand went bust. I've had flings with some other great cars in my life (Mazda RX7 Turbo, Audi S6, 3 Audi R8s, MB SL55 AMG, Tesla P90D and Plaid, etc.), but never with a car that is so beautifully balanced across such a wide range of aspects: power, handling, ride, room, luxury, style.

I never thought I'd live to say this, but thank God for the Saudis. They seem willing stick it out and give Lucid the fighting chance that the market has not thus far. Lucid has been dealt an unprecedented number of bad hands during its launch: COVID supply chain disruptions, peaking inflation and interest rates, overall slowing of EV growth, loss of federal tax credits (that benefitted Tesla during its launch years), and a Level 3 charging partner that dropped every ball it was handed.

But the Gravity is coming, and hope springs eternal in this aging heart.

 

[joec]

It’s a great article. Pulls no punches about Lucid’s struggles. But it’s clear the author “gets it” when it comes to what Peter is trying to do.

 

[Vivace95]

couple of other points the author makes- Lucid is a 21st century car company, with capacity to build 550k vehicles annually when both factories are completed. You go big, not go small trying to build a car in your grandfathers shed hoping for a following.
also, author says, refreshing to see that unlike other EV startups, Lucid recognizes that more tech is not necessarily better!!

Also, the fact that Aston Martin chose Lucid for its next generation future proof EV powertrain says a lot!1

My view is that the most interesting point is the notion that the Air doesn't need to be a "car of the people." The price point doesn't need to be readily accessible by the masses because Lucid's business model gives them an alternate revenue stream - profit-rich licensing fees. These make up for equivalent sales of automobiles, however, it only goes so far. It doesn't sound as if licensing compensates for the sales volume needed to return KSA. What it does do is give the company breathing room until Gravity and Pure "hit the showroom" and broken market access.

 

[no gas]

I wonder if Ceer/Hyundai will sign a deal with Lucid for the “people’s car”. They don’t expect the CEER factory to be done till 2026, that is when the Lucid Model Y competitor will be released. Timing works out.

 

[off]

That was a well written article, we should be thankful that Rawlinson had so much engineering latitude; it is true the legacy marques are held back by compromises, be it engineering or design. A friend of mine just got a BMW i5 M60, and while I think it is a great effort by BMW, he thinks there are many compromises compared to the Air; ie, a shared platform with ICE propulsion, lack of cargo (no frunk) and passenger room as a result. Not even mentioning the battery and motor packaging. Really makes me proud to own one and can't wait for the Gravity and others to come!